The Book Mammon - Prologue

Prologue

The three moons of Gor were covered by clouds. An owl sang its sad song in the court-yard of the Dark Castle. The scent of death all around. In a small chappel a dark shadow guarded a dead body laying on a bloody altar. The red glowing eyes fixed on the badly injured chest and the deep wound in the heart of the corpse. The shadow remained silent, but deep inside he vowed vengeance to the people who did this to his blood brother.
Suddenly he felt another presence approximating. A second dark shadow entered the chappel, taller then the first. The Dark Lord had arrived!
His deep voice cut the darkness: "Orcus! So good to see you again. It's time to return your blood-brother to us!". The smaller shadow nodded greeting his Lord.

The Dark Lord stepped closer to the bloody altar and raised his arms. His deep voice reverberated from the walls of the chappel as he started his incantation: "DARK PRIEST KINGS OF GOR, HEAR MY WORDS THE DARK LORD SPEAKS! YOU HAVE TAKEN FROM ME A DARK WARRIOR. I MOVE IN OUR SHADOWS. I DO YOUR EVIL BIDDING, RETURN TO ME WHAT IS MINE SO I MAY CARRY ON THIS WORK! WE WALK THE DARK PATH IN YOUR HONOUR. I DEMAND YOU RETURN THE ONE KNOWN AS MAMMON TO ME. BY THE POWER OF DARKNESS AND DEATH I COMMAND YOU!"

A shimmering red light appeared over the corpse. Small first but growing, spinning around the dead body and bathing the dark chappel in a red light. The wounds over the corpses heart closed, the acid burned skin healed and the wounds turned into glowing red ornaments. The Dark Lord and the shadow called Orcus shielded their eyes with their arm.
Then the light vanished and darkness filled the room again. The Dark Lord stepped forward and smiled looking down to his new warrior. Watching how the body cranked and suddenly a deep breath filled its lungs. A deep moan left his throat.
"Steady brother!", the Dark Lord said. "Calm deep breaths..."
The body on the altar opened its eyes, blinking in the dimmed light of the dark chappel. He coughed and gagged, but the deep soothing voice calmed his breath down. The Dark Lord stroked his hair "Calm, brother, calm. Welcome back to us. You have been gone some time."